Electrode holder



Feb. 19, 1946. P, L. BOURQUE ELECTRODE HOLDER Filed Jan. .241 1944INVENTOR.

PHILIP L.BOURQUE 1 WW WM ATTORN EYS //K///////J y b IA lb/ /m/ I. m w QQ m m L Q a electrode. the invention consists inthe construction ashere- Patented Feb. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRODEHOLDER Philip L. Bourque, Detroit, Mich.

Application January 24, 1944,1SerialINo. 519,499

4 Claims.

The :invention relates to electrode holders :such as are used .in arcwelding and it is the object of the invention to obtain a constructionwhich'will firmly hold the electrode during the performance of theworkwhile permitting of easily and quickly exchanging electrodes whenevernecessary.

It .is a further object to obtain a construction of holder in which thehandle portion is .free from .any projections which might interfere withfreedom of "movement thereof.

Still further it is an object of the invention to obtain a constructionin which a relatively small angular movement or rotation of the :handleis all that is required for :releasing or clamping the With these andother objects in view inafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is acentral longitudinal section through my improved electrodeholder;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the clamping jaws in released positionfor engagement or disengagement of the electrode;

Fig. 3 is 'a-section .on line 3-3, Fig. .2, showing in full and dottedlines the clamped and released positions of the jaws and the degree ofangular .movement between the same;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction; and

.Fig. 5 is an elevation of the multiple thread screw for efiecting theclamping or releasing of the jaws.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, .A is a tubular handle formed of suitabledielectric material. B is a metallic supporting sleeve within the handleA and C is a socket member secured within the sleeve B for receiving theconductor cable (not shown). I Fixed to and preferably integral with thesocket C is a male screw threaded member D for engaging acorrespondingly threaded female member E, the latter revolubly engagingthe sleeve B. The member E has attached thereto a pair of resilient armsF which extend outward through the end of the handle and terminate inclamping jaw members F. The arms F are biased to hold the jaws inclamped position and between the jaw portions of the arms and theportions thereof engaging the member E are obliquely inclined camportions F The male member D has a forwardly extending portion Dterminating in a ball member D which latter is arranged between theportions F so that by rotating the handle in one direction relative tothe jaws, the ball D will be forced between the cam portions F to spreadthe jaws and release their clamping engagement. On the other hand, arotation of the handle in the opposite direction will withdraw the :ballD permitting the clamping of the jaws by "the inherent resiliency of thearms F.

"The jaws F are preferably formed with a series of notches F in onemember thereof for engaging the electrode. They are also provided witha. larger notch F for receiving an electrode when the jaws are inclamped position, which electrode may be used as a lever for turning thejaws relative to the handle and ball 13 to effect a releasing of theclamp. Thus, as shown, the notch F is formed by U-shaped bends in thejaws. The jaws F are externally insulated by pads G of insulat- .i-ngmaterial which are secured to the jaws by screws G.

With certain constructions heretofore used, the jaws for clamping theelectrode are operated by a lever pivotally connected to the handle andprojecting outward therefrom. This is objectionable inasmuch as anyprojection from the handle will interfere with its freedom of movementand may catch on some obstruction. With m improved holder there are noprojections from either the handle or the jaws and the operatingmechanism for the jaws is completely housed and sealed within thehandle. It is desirable to effect the clamping or releasing of the jawsby a relatively small degree of angular movement or rotation of thehandle. This, I accomplish by using a. relatively steep-pitched screwwhich will provide the necessary axial movement by a small angularmovement. However, it is equally essential that when the electrode isclamped by the jaws it should be held from accidental release and with asteep-pitched screw there is greater tendency for movement towardsreleasing position. I, therefore, have designed the screw with amultiple thread thereby increasing frictional resistance to releasingmovement. This is illustrated in Fig. 5 where the member D has parallelthreads D D'*, D between successive convolutions. The member E iscorrespondingly threaded and, consequently, the friction between thesetwo members will be sufficient to always hold the jaws in clampedposition against any tendency towards automatic release.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified construction in which there is provided acircular handle H of a diameter large than the handle A arranged at theforward end thereof. Thi handle H has a hub H which has a threadedengagement with the interior of the sleeve B, the thread being theopposite hand to that of the thread of the member D. Thus, if the memberD has a right hand thread, the hub H would have a left hand thread. Thishub is also attached by a screw H to one of the arms F, the arrangementbeing such that when the handles H and A are relatively rotated theaxial movement of the ball F relative to the jaws F is the sum of themovements imparted thereto by the screw threads of the hub H and themember D. In other words, the axial movement is twice that which wouldbe produced by one thread alone. Thus, less relative angular or rotativemovement is required with this construction than with the constructionshown in Fig. 1 if the pitch of the threads is th same in each case.

Another feature shown in the construction, Fig. 4, i that an air space Bis formed between the handle A and the sleeve B by spacers B Thispermits the circulation of air between the tubular handle and the sleeveto dissipate any heat communicated to the latter from the jaws.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An electrode holder comprising a tubular handle formed of dielectricmaterial, a metallic leeve within said handle secured thereto, a socketmember secured within said sleeve for connection with the conductorcable, a male screwthreaded member projecting forward from said socket,a female screw-threaded member engaging said male member and revolublyengaging said sleeve, a pair of resilient arms secured to said femalemember and projecting outward from said handle terminating in clampingjaws, said arms being biased toward clamping position and havingobliquely inclined cam portions between said jaws and said femalemember, and a member secured to and projecting from said male member forengaging said cams to spread said arms upon a relative rotation of saidjaw and handle.

2. An electrode holder comprising a tubular handle formed of dielectricmaterial, a sleeve member within said tubular handle, asocket membersecured within said sleeve member and adapted for connection with theconductor cable, a male screw-threaded member projecting forward fromsaid socket, a female screw-threaded member engaging said male memberand slidable within said sleeve, a pair of resilient arms connected tosaid female member projecting outward from said handle and terminatingin clamping jaws, aid arms being biased towards the clamping position ofsaid jaws and having obliquely inclined portions between said jaws andsaid female member, and a member extending forward from said male memberhaving a knob at its outer end for engaging said obliquely in clinedportions and adapted to be moved forward to spread the same upon arelative rotation of said handle and jaw members, said jaw members beingfashioned to provide a notch therebetween of a diameter as great as thatof the electrode in the clamped position of the jaws whereby saidelectrode may be inserted into said notch and used as a lever forrotating the jaws with respect to said holder to release the clamp.

3. An electrode holder comprising a tubular handle formed of dielectricmaterial, a metallic sleeve within said handle, a socket member securedwithin said sleeve and serving for connection with the conductor cable,a member fixed to and projecting forward from said socket provided withan externally relatively steep-pitched multiple thread, a member havinga corresponding female thread slidable within said sleeve, 8. pair ofresilient arms connected to the latter member projecting forward out ofsaid handle and terminating in clamping jaws, said arms being biasedtowards clamping position of the jaws and having obliquely inclinedportions between said jaws and said female threaded member, and a membeprojecting forward from said externally threaded member having a knob atits outer end engaging said obliquely inclined portions of said armswhereby a relative rotation of said jaws and handle through a relativelysmall angle will cause the spreading of said resilient arms and thereleasing of the clamp.

4. An electrode holder comprising a tubular handle, a membe slidablyfitting within said handle, a pair of resilient arms connected to saidmember and projecting outward therefrom terminating in electrodeclamping jaws, said arms being biased towards clamping position, a screwsecured to said handle within the same having a threaded engagement withsaid member to which the arms are attached, a circular handle of largerdiameter than said tubular handle at the forward end of the latter, saidcircular handle having a hub portion threaded to engage correspondingthreads in the interior of said sleeve and being also attached to one ofsaid resilient arms, the threads on said hub and those on the aforesaidscrew being of opposite hand, and a member projecting from said screwhaving a spreading cam engagement with said jaws whereby a relativerotation of said circular handle and tubular handle will axially advancesaid spreading member an amount equal to the sum of advancement of eachof said opposite hand threaded members PHILIP L. BOURQUE.

